The Goldeyes
by MayeGirl
Summary: Set during Eclipse before they face the newborns. Bella remembers a family she knew when she was younger and realizes they were vampires like the Cullens. She calls on them to help with the battle and they come bearing the knowledge of things she never wanted the Cullens to know and things she forgot.
1. Chapter 1

"You're going to go pre-maturely grey. I mean, REALLY, Bella, you worry too much," Alice gave me an annoyed look.

I froze. "W-What?"

Some had once said the exact same thing to me. Some one with the same bell-like voice as Alice. Some one who hadn't changed a bit in the five years I had known her.

Alice raised one eyebrow at me. "Bella, you look like you've seen a ghost. What's wrong?"

My mind was raising - connecting dots I had never known existed. Then it clicked.

"Alice... you said that there is nothing to worry about, you'll all be able to handle the newborns, even though you're out-numbered?"

"We're only outnumbered by three - right now. Their numbers go down every day." Alice sniffed.

"Wh-what if I could raise your numbers?"

"Bella," Alice rolled her eyes. "Edward won't let us turn you right now. Besides, the battle would just be harder if YOU were a newborn too."

"No," I said, staring wide-eyed into empty space. "Not me. What if we OUTNUMBERED the newborns? What if we had more full-grown vampires? Say, seven more?"

"Then they REALLY wouldn't stand a chance." Alice frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Can I borrow you cell?"

"Why?"

"Cause they might not answer if I use Charlie's phone," I held my shaking hand out and, frowning in confusion, Alice dropped the phone into my hand.

She couldn't see them coming then. Probably because they didn't have a decision whether or not they WOULD pick up.

My fingers were trembling as I dialed the number. I hadn't called them in years. Not since Renee and I had lived in New York - where the sun hardly shone.

The phone rang three times before she answered.

"Hello?" her bright voice asked eagerly.

It was late there. Normal humans should have been asleep by now.

My suspicion was confirmed. And by the way Alice's eyes lit up and then turned dark at the sound of the voice on the other end, I knew she knew too.

"Hey, remember me? Bella Swan?" I nearly choked on the words.

I heard a sharp intake of breath but I continued before my old friend could speak.

"I'm calling in that favor you said you owed me. How soon can you get to Forks, Washington?"

"Um, er, Bella, I can't come to Forks right now... I, er -?"

She was stumbling. She wasn't as quick on her feet as the Cullens were, but that didn't matter. I knew.

"I know what you and your family are. MY family is in danger, and we need your help."

"Bella, what are you talking about?" she asked nervously.

"I know that you're all vampires."


	2. Chapter 2

Alice and I had agreed that it was better for Edward to NOT know that I knew another coven of vampires until it became absolutely necessary.

I hated to hide things from him, but I knew that he would have a panic attack if he knew I had spent five years living next door to them.

Edward and I were the last one's to arrive at the clearing again that night. Alice immediately flitted to our side.

"I told Jacob," she told me then started humming a song and ran away again.

Edward frowned after her and then down at me. "Bella?"

I shrugged - once again glad that he couldn't read my racing thoughts.

"EDWARD!" Jasper shouted, sounding annoyed. He must have been calling for his brother mentally.

Edward gently squeezed my hand and flashed to him, Jacob loping to my side as soon as he was gone.

He gave me a wary look and a heavy sigh, his eyes questioning me.

"I'll tell you all later, I only want to explain it once," I whispered, hoping Edward was too distracted to pay attention to us.

Jacob nodded his big head and went back to his post.

I stood there alone then. Watching the seven vampires mock fighting. I could feel my expression grow more and more panicked.

Hands wrapped around my waist and suddenly I was flying through the woods at the speed of a vampire, but I knew it was none of the Cullens that had abducted me.

My heart was racing and I screamed as loudly as I could.

Then whoever it was who had me captive stopped and forced me behind their back protectively. The tiny-blond vampire in front of me dropped into a defensive crouch and her arms reached backwards as if to shield me from view as the Cullens and werewolves materialized out of the forest in front of her and six other vampires appeared at her side in a protective half circle.

My eyes flew to Edward's panicked and fearsome face and then to the seven vampires around me, protecting me from who they thought was the danger.

Carlisle stepped forward carefully. "I would greatly appreciate it if you would release the human girl."

"Now," Edward added in a growl. Jacob accented it with a snarl of his one.

"Or we rip your heads off," Alice put it, looking dangerous and tiny at the same time.

"We're not going to allow monsters like you to feed on her," one of the vampires in the semi circle around me snarled.

I recognized the voice. A slight smile pushed the corners of my lips up.

"We're not letting you walk away from here with her," Edward snarled.

"And we're not letting you kill her," another of the newcomers snarled.

I sighed. "Stop it. All of you," I scolded the gathering of vampires then met Edward's eyes, "they're here to help."

The tiny blond vampire in front of me glanced over her shoulder at me, frowning. "What are you talking about, Bella?"

I stepped around her and took a confused Edward's hand before turning to smile at the newcomers and their blond member.

"Melody, this is my family, the Cullens." I turned to Edward again and gestured to the vampires behind me as they straightened from their crouches. "And these are the Goldeyes, my old friends."

Melody laughed, "So THEY'RE the reason we haven't heard anything about your funeral yet. Go figure." She rolled her eyes.

Melody flipped her long golden hair and danced forwards to shake Edward's hand, her golden eyes dancing merrily. She was shorter than Alice, frozen forever at the age of twelve. "My name is Melody; how bad's Bella's luck been since you met her?"

"Terrible," Edward replied. "I suppose your family is the only reason she's lived so long."

"Of course," Carlisle's equivalent in the Goldeyes family stepped forward to shake hands with the Cullen. "Bella would have been smashed flat as a pancake if it were not for Melody. Why she was in the middle of the street is beyond me."

"I didn't see the bus coming!" I cried indignantly, flushing crimson.

"You invite trouble," Edward glared at me slightly.

I returned the glare, then smirked meaningfully. "The first time was in no way my fault."

His expression turned amused. "Alright, I'll give you that one. Tyler's van was in no way your fault." He agreed, chuckling slightly.

"Van" Melody growled, glaring up at me. "What van?"


	3. Chapter 3

Edward studied Melody's furious expression for a minute and read her thoughts, fighting a smile that threatened at the corners of his lips.

"What VAN?" Melody repeated glaring from me to Edward.

"Alice will explain," he said after a minute, gesturing to the pixie-like vampire. "Right now, I would like to get Bella out of the woods and to a more easily defensible area."

Gently, but still so swiftly it knocked the air out of my lungs, Edward swung me onto his back and took off through the woods.

"You could have warned me they were coming." He called over his shoulder when he had put some distance between us and the others. "I nearly took your friends' heads off."

"Sorry," I whispered sheepishly. Then I turned defensive. "But think of how you would have reacted if I HAD told you earlier that I had lived NEXT-DOOR with vampires, before you heard their thoughts or saw their golden eyes for yourself."

Edward considered that for a minute before nodding. "I wouldn't have listened long enough for you to explain the entire story." He smiled, "Or allowed you to come tonight."

"ALLOWED me?" I scoffed.

Edward said nothing as he slowed, his house coming into view.

"Alice will bring the others here," he informed me, helping me off his back. "Let's wait inside."

Edward took my hand and led me up the porch steps and into the house. He sat on the white couch and pulled me down unto his lap. With his arms wrapped around my waist, I could almost physically FEEL the tension he was radiating.

"Edward...?" I twisted in his arms to frown at him, but he just smiled at kissed my lips briefly.

"It's nothing, love. I'm just being unneccesarily anxious," he promised.

"Hmm," I replied suspiciously, leaning back into his chest.

The room was suddenly filled with the vampires from the forest. The Cullens had all taken up positions around the room - Alice and Jasper sitting leisurely on the staircase, Esme mildly rearranging flowers in a vase, Carlisle standing next to the blank TV, Rosalie lounging in an armchair with Emmett spread out on the floor by her feet - while the Goldeneyes stood just inside the door.

They looked just as I remembered them. Melody, small and petite, her golden hair flowing down past her waist, had her full, crimson lips pushed together in a pout, unhappy to hear about my close encounters with death, obviously. Her parents, Marie and Steven, stood next to her, smiling warmly at me. Lysander and Andrian, the identical twins in the group, stood on her other side, and Harriet and Taylon, looking like fashion models as per usual, both stood behind their little sister.

"I explained everything to them," Alice said simply.

Everyone was silent for a minute and the Goldeneyes' eyes never left Edward and me.

Finally, Edward sighed and got to his feet, not releasing me. "My name is Edward Cullen; thank you for coming. I was not aware there was another group of non-human feeding vampires in existence."

"Nor were we," Steven said warily, study Edward with intensity. "We have never before encountered a family with the same views as ours... Thank you for taking care of Bella after she moved here."

"No," Edward countered, allowing a smile to brighten his face at last, "for keeping her alive long enough to meet me."

His eyes flickered to Melody briefly before he rolled them. "I am not going to attack you if you wish to hug her."

Squealing, Melody flashed across the room to throw her arms around me and the tension in the room evaporated. Edward finally released me, to allow the newcomer to properly greet me, but didn't move far from my side.

"Bella!" Melody squealed, hugging me tightly.

"Hi, Melody," I smiled, returning the hug. "How have you been?"

"Fantastic," she replied as she stepped back to study me. "Sorry, for abducting you in the forest. When we saw other vampires fighting, we just assumed that they were trying to decide who got to feed off you," she explained and I saw Edward making a face. "Come say hi to Mom and Dad."

She pulled me away from Edward - who reluctantly stayed behind - and over to her family.

"Hey, Bella," Lysander and Adrian spoke in sync.

"Bella, it's been too long," Harriet pouted than frowned. "What happened to your hair?"

I had reached one hand up to feel my hair before she smiled, "Got you." I rolled my eyes at her and Harriet pulled my into a hug.

"How you been, Bells?" Taylon asked, picking me up in a bear hug.

"Great," I replied before I was handed off to their parents.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Goldeneye," I smiled shyly at them.

"Now, Bella," Steven scolded, "you know the rule."

"I'm only allowed to call you 'mister' behind your back," I grinned, relieved that the years hadn't changed anything between us.

"Exactly," he approved.

I frowned slightly, scrutinizing their numbers, "Melody..."

Melody shook her blond curls, anticipating my question. "No, he's not coming."

Taylon scowled, "You think we would actually let him continue to LIVE after what he did?"

Marie grimaced, "Bella, I'd like to apologize again for what happened."

"No," I shook my head, "you couldn't have realized that he was so..."

"Idiotic?" Lysander supplied.

"Psychotic?" Adrian added.

"Sadistic." Melody scowled.

I nodded and she sighed. "We should've realized it sooner though."

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked suspiciously.

Melody ignored him, "Did they ever heal all the way, Bella?"

I hesitated too long. "Yes, they're completely gone now."

Melody rolled her eyes, "I'll admit, you've gotten better, but you're still a terrible liar."

Before I could say or do anything, Melody spun me so that I was facing every one and she stood behind me. Without saying anything, she lifted the back of my shirt up and let out an angry hiss.

I saw Edward's face drain of all color and I knew what she was seeing, what he was seeing through her eyes. What I had kept hidden from everyone for several years, what I had been so careful to never let him see or feel. Melody was staring at the double snake-like, silvery scars that crossed all over the middle of my back - the one's her brother had given to me.


	4. Chapter 4

"What the freaking HECK!" Melody shrieked. "What the heck did he do to you?!"

"Hey!" I protested, trying in vain to squirm out of her grasp.

"Bella," she hissed, "why haven't these healed? And why are they silvery like this?"

"I don't know," I sighed. "Now will you please let go."

Melody ignored me and continued to stare at the old wounds which throbbing dully like usual. "These should have healed years ago, yet there still radiating pain. Let me try..."

Using her unusual gift of healing, Melody moved her hand across my back and attempted to pull the pain out. I had to bit back a swear word when the dull pain I had long ago grown used to suddenly intensified. Instead, I shrieked and tried harder to escaped from her grasp.

"Bella!" Edward shouted, lunging for Melody before Lysander and Adrian stopped him.

"That hurts!" I screamed to Melody.

She frowned, "It shouldn't be..."

The pain dulled again for a minute before flaring back more painfully than the last time.

"Stop it!" I begged and Edward tried to wrestle his way to me.

"I have to get this to..."

The pain suddenly spread from my back and through out my whole body. I had though vampire venom had hurt, but that was only a fraction of the pain. It slithered through my torso, and like a snake, bit into my heart.

Suddenly, I was behind Melody, pulling her arms backwards at an awkward angle.

"I said STOP IT," I growled.

Then I released her shocked. This wasn't me. I couldn't move that fast or gracefully, like a vampire. Nor could I actually move one without their assistance. And I felt... powerful, like I could run then thousand miles without tiring.

I stared in horror at my hands, trying to figure it out, and I heard Steven and Edward - who had stopped struggling when I had stopped screaming - gasped.

"No," Steven said, amazed. "Impossible. I've heard legends, but this..."

"What?" I asked worriedly. "What is it?"

"There is a legend about the lamia regina," Steven said hesitantly, studying me. "The vampire girl that became a vampire... with old venom, the most powerful vampire that ever lived.. When Matthew," the Goldeneyes all scowled at their brother's name, "hurt you the way he had, he must have locked the venom in your body, and Melody just released it."

"Lamia regina?" Carlisle frowned, "Isn't that Latin for -?"

"Yes," Steven said, awed, "Vampire Queen."


	5. Chapter 5

"What does that mean?" I asked confused.

"It means that you have the ability to bend others to your will – with intense concentration. And…" Steven began hesitantly. "That you're not fully a vampire."

As he said that I felt the pain reappear then vanish, along with all my sudden strength. My head pounded. My heart raced. And my breathing grew jagged.

"Bella," Edward said, throwing off Lysander and Adrian and flashing to my side.

"What does that mean?" I demanded again, gripping the front of Edward's shirt to keep from toppling over and glaring at Steven.

"Basically... It's like part of your blood is tainted with venom and the rest of it isn't. At times, you'll be a vampire, but at others, a human." He explained. "It... may or may not turn you into full vampire. If it doesn't..."

"Can we talk about this later?" Edward asked, in tune with my panic. "It's late and Bella needs to get home before Charlie wakes up and finds her missing."

"I don't think you'll have time to get her home, Edward." Alice said darkly. "She's about to-"

I didn't hear what I was about to do because I was already doing it. My back arched as the venom returned to my heart. I screamed and Edward held me tight, trying to keep me upright. When the pain had passed, I was in tears and still human.

"I don't think you should go home tonight, Bella," Esme said quietly. "You wouldn't want to scare Charlie."

I nodded and Edward picked me up to run upstairs to his bedroom. I was asleep before he even made it to the bed.

******

My head and body ached when I woke up. I slid off the bed with my eyes closed and started to cross my room to the bathroom. Edward's hands stopped me.

"You're going to trip over something, love," he murmured.

My eyes snapped open and I finally realized where I was.

"Charlie?" I croaked as Edward gently lifted me back onto the bed.

He shook his head. "Alice and Esme took care of it. They left a note on the kitchen counter saying they had kidnapped you for a end of the school year shopping trip. And that the only reason they hadn't told either of you first was because they knew you would protest and he might let something slip by accident."

"Good," I sighed, pressing my forehead against his cool skin.

He kissed the top of my head. "How do you feel? And be honest."

I hesitated for my lips had already started to form the lie, "Fi- Like someone took a sledge-hammer to my head then ran me over with a semi," I finally confessed.

"I'm so sorry, love," Edward whispered, gently stroking my bare arm. "It should get better. Carlisle gave you something while you slept to stop the venom from spreading. You'll be a n- human," he stopped himself from saying "normal," "for now, but... We can't finish the transformation."

I pulled back to look up at him, frowning. "But wouldn't it make sense to just complete the transformation?"

"We don't know what the mixed venoms would do," he explained. "If mine or Carlise's venom met with Matthew's…it could kill you, as would leaving the venom in you... We have to figure out a way to get the old venom out of you."

I nodded against his chest again then smiled when my stomach growled audibly.

Edward chuckled and pulled away. "Why don't you change clothes then we'll get you something to eat?"

I nodded silently again, and Edward kissed my forehead before handing me some clothes Alice had been trying in vain to get me to wear and leaving the room.

I changed clothes swiftly - designer jeans and a brown blouse with French tags - and Edward came back. He took my hand silently and led me downstairs to where the Cullens and Goldeneyes awaited.

"Morning, Bella," Melody told me cheerfully as she sipped dark red liquid from a plastic water bottle.

I eyed her bottle warily as I returned her greeting and Melody grinned as she offered the nearly empty container to me, "Want some? It's African Elephant blood."

I grimaced, "I think I'll wait until AFTER I'm a FULL vampire to start drinking blood of any kind."

"Are you hungry, Bella? What would you like to eat, dear?" Esme smiled at me.

Obviously everyone was pretending everything was completely normal, but I did notice that Carlisle, Steven, and Marie were missing. I decided to play along with them.

"Just cereal's fine, thank you."

Edward, also seeming to go along with the facade, snorted. "You need more than just sugary cereal, Bella. I've got it, Mom."

He kissed my lips briefly before flashing into the kitchen to rustle up some grub. I frowned worriedly after him, afraid he might go over board, but Alice laughed, "Don't worry, Bella. He's just making an omelet for you. Your body probably needs the protein."

I grimaced as I sat down on the couch. So much for pretending everything was normal.

"He worries about you, a lot." Harriet noted.

Melody shook her head and finished off the rest of her blood bottle, "Dating a vampire. What crazy thing will Bella do next?"

"Marry one." Alice said, matter-of-factly.

I turned bright red and choked on the glass of orange juice Esme had brought me.

Melody studied me, surprised, "Didn't you swear one time that you were never going to get married?"

"What's that?" Edward asked, appearing with a perfectly made omelet.

"In my defense," I muttered to Melody, flushing a deeper shade of crimson, "I was nine years old and still thought every guy had cooties."

"And you still thought zombies were the most dangerous mystical creatures," Lysander laughed. "Now that you've met a few vampires and werewolves, what's the most dangerous mystical creature, in your opinion?"

I could feel everyone's eyes on me so I kept my face serious as I replied, "SpongeBob Square-pants."

Adrian snorted. "What's your reasoning behind that?"

I grinned, "He rots your brain and ruins your eyes."

"Oh no," Melody rolled her eyes, "SpongeBob's a zombie."

"Never said that," I argued.

"Watching you two rib each other is like listening to three year olds argue," Taylon complained.

"Hmm," Melody frowned at me, her face serious. "Three years… We've missed three of your birthdays – plus Christmases!"

I felt my face pale as I finished off my omelet. "So?" I asked nervously.

Harriet grinned, "So, that means we've missed SIX opportunities to spoil you."

I suppressed a groan; I knew what was coming.

"We brought you something," Taylon chuckled, pulling the package out from behind a potted plant and set it down on the floor in front of me.

I recognized the shape immediately, "Oh, no."

Sensing I wouldn't open it myself, Melody untied the bow and opened the guitar case.

My chagrin disappeared when I caught sight of the stained wood.

"No way," I gasped. I slip off the couch to get a closer look. "Is that a Gibson Hummingbird?"

It had to be, it looked exactly like the one I had seen at the mall in Phoenix before I had moved to Forks.

"You like guitars?" Edward asked shocked.

"Yep," Melody answered both of us.

"How come you never mentioned this?" Alice was the one to demand.

I shrugged as I reached hesitantly to touch the smooth wood, "It never came up."

"Esme asked you if you played anything the first time you came over," Alice pointed out.

"No, Esme asked if I played the PIANO," I countered.

"Will you play, Bella?" Melody asked, her eyes alight with expectation.

I pulled back quickly and jumped back on the couch. "No."

Melody's excitement disappeared, replaced by irritation. "Seriously? It's been three years since I've heard you play OR sing."

"You SING too?" Edward asked amazed.

"Yes," I answered them both, "but I haven't played or sung since THAT day."

Melody scowled then smiled, pulling a DVD out of her pocket, "I still have this."

"No!" I gasped, making a grab for it but she danced out of my reach quickly. "You promised you destroyed it!"

"I did; I just didn't mention I had made a copy first. Play the guitar and I won't show everyone this."

"You're evil," I glared, close to tears.

"What is it?" Esme asked curiously.

"A video of Bella playing the guitar for her eighth grade talent show. Melody forced her to enter." Edward answered, picking the answer from Melody's mind.

"I'm not playing the guitar," I growled, burying my face in my hands.

"It can't be that bad, love," Edward murmured, picking me up to slide underneath me.

"Oh, it isn't," Adrian grinned as Melody popped the DVD into the player.

"But I'll probably still get to make fun of her for it." Emmett laughed, waiting impatiently for the DVD to load.

I peeked through my fingers at the TV as I appeared, bearing a guitar. My younger self strummed the first guitar chord and started to sing.

"You and I walk a fragile line  
I have known it all this time  
But I never thought I'd live to see it break

It's getting dark and it's all too quiet  
And I can't tryst anything now  
And it's coming over you like it's all a big mistake

Oh, holding my breath  
Won't lose you again  
Something's made your eyes go cold."

I felt Edward's body tense and freeze up as the song continued. I couldn't read his mind, but I didn't really need to to tell what he was thinking. This was us. At least, us back in September and a little bit now.

"Come on, come on  
Don't leave me like this  
I thought I had you figured out  
Something's gone terribly wrong  
You're all I wanted.

Come on, come on  
Don't leave me like this  
I thought I had you figure out  
Can't breathe whenever you're gone  
Can't turn back now  
I'm haunted.

Stood there and watched you walk away  
From everything we had  
But I still mean every word I say to you

He will try to take away my pain  
And he just might make me smile  
But the whole time I'm wishing he was you instead

Oh, holding my breath  
Won't see you again  
Something keeps me holding on to nothing."

I flinched. This song fit me and Edward perfectly. I could see his hands, clasped together in my lap, striving to crush the other, and I wanted to turn and see his face but knew he would stop me at the first sign of movement. He wouldn't want me to see his pain.

"Come on, come on  
Don't leave me like this  
I though I had you figured out  
Something's gone terribly wrong  
You're all I wanted

Com on, come on  
Don't leave me like this  
I thought I had you figured out  
Cant' breathe whenever you're gone  
Can't turn back now  
I'm haunted

I know  
I know  
I just know

You're not gone  
You can't be gone  
No

Come on, come on  
Don't leave me like this  
I thought I had you figured out  
Something's gone terribly wrong  
Won't finish what you started

Come on, come on  
Don't leave me like this  
I though I had you figured out  
Can't breathe whenever you're gone  
I can't go back  
I'm haunted

You and I walk a fragile line  
I have known it al this time  
Never ever thought I'd see it break  
Never thought I'd see it."

The TV screen went black as Alice snatched the DVD out and tossed it to Melody.

"We'd appreciate it if you didn't play that here again," she snapped.

"What?" Melody asked surprised by Alice's enraged expression.

Emmett, who had been expecting a good laugh, turned horrified eyes on me and Edward. "I can't make fun of that."

"Why do you all look like someone just got murdered or something?" Melody demanded. "Bella has an amazing voice.

"Because," Edward's voice was rougher than ever, "that song, fits me and Bella perfectly. I made a mistake last September and left her. That is something I can never repent of, no matter how many times Bella says she had forgiven me."

I finally twisted around in his lap touched Edward's creased brow. "Now you know why I didn't want you to see that… I'm sorry."

He forced his usual crooked smile into place, touching the tear tracks on my face, "No, I should have listened to you. And I never should have left."

I shook my head, "You were just doing what you thought was right."

Edward pulled my lips down to his briefly and our quiet moment was suddenly interrupted by the front door banging open and Carlisle, Steven, and Marie flashing in.

"We've figured it out," Marie announced happily.


	6. Chapter 6

Carlisle slowly explained it to me and the others; I could feel Edward's tension grow as his "father" spoke.

"The venom locked inside of you has turned into… a balloon of sorts," he informed us. "Like a venom balloon: if we _pop_ it, it will unleash the venom and your transformation should continue as normal."

"Should?" Edward asked, jaw clenched as he tightened his hold on me.

"There are no guarantees, Edward," Steven informed him. "Just like there aren't any guarantees with an ordinary transformation."

Edward looked down at me painfully. I knew full well that he did not wish for me to become a vampire, that he wanted it to be my choice at the very least. And here we were again, a silver sword ready to swing down on my neck. Literally.

His head snapped up and he _glared_ at _Carlisle._

"You could have mentioned that _that_ was a possibility," he snarled angrily.

"What?" I asked panicked.

"It's a fifty-fifty chance," Alice frowned, peering into the future. "It could go either way!"

"What?" I repeated.

"The venom is… old." Carlisle explained hesitantly. "There is a high chance that it will not be… strong enough to complete the transformation."

I stared at him warily before turning around in Edward's arms to face him. "If the venom is the problem… Couldn't you just suck it out like you did with James?"

"Who?" Melody asked her brow furrowed.

"Nobody," I waved and Edward raised an eyebrow. Melody could be even more over-protective than he could.

If that was even possible.

Melody narrowed her eyes at me, "Bella, whenever you say it's nothing, it's always something."

"Well it doesn't matter, cause he's dead." I replied grinding my teeth, annoyed with her accurate accusation.

Her eyes widened in surprise, and I turned back to Edward waiting for an answer.

I jumped in surprise when I realized that his eyes were bright red.

"No, Bella," his voice was almost robotic as he said it and I took a frightened step backwards.

"Bella?" Edward's voice asked me worriedly, but the Edward in front of me hadn't said anything. "Bella, are you alright? Carlisle, what's happening?"

"I cannot allow you to live!" The red-eyed Edward shrieked as he dove at me, his fangs flashing.

Edward didn't have fangs!

I screamed as his teeth ripped into me, my blood flowing freely. The pain was intense.

Edward continued to suck my blood for a few minutes before he pulled away.

"You may not be good enough for me, but your blood certainly is," he growled before continuing to suck me dry.

I shrieked and struggled against his iron grip.

"Bella!" the other Edward – the one I couldn't see – shouted. "Love! Wake up! Carlisle! What's happening?!"

"Edward!" I shrieked. "Stop! Please stop!" I tried in vain to push him away but he was just too strong.

"Bella!" the other Edward shouted and my eyes shot open.

Edward had me trapped in his arms, but his eyes weren't crimson, they were melted topazes. The others were all crowded around me worriedly and I stopped struggling.

"Ed-Edward," I choked around my tears.

"I'm right here, love." Edward pleaded, "What's the matter?"

I felt a wave a calm wash over me and I shot Jasper a grateful look.

"B-bad dream. What hap-happened?" I shuddered – even with Jasper helping me, I couldn't reach a normal level of calmness. I felt tears prick at my eyes though and I buried my face in Edward's shirt.

"We sucked the venom out and you blacked out," Edward said slowly, and I could hear the frown in his voice. "But then you started to scream like you were in pain and shouting for me to stop – even though the venom was all out."

"Oh," I sighed, blackness slowly engulfing me. "Good."

******

I woke once again in Edward's arms but this time we were on the couch surrounded by family and friends. My neck felt like it was on fire and I winced slightly. He instantly moved one of his ice cold hands to cover the new scar on my neck and the burning lessened.

"Are you alright, love?" he asked worriedly.

I quickly took inventory and determined that – despite the slight burn in my neck – I was perfectly fine.

"Right as rain," I replied hoarsely and Alice appeared with a tall glass of water. "Thanks," I told her, drinking it all quickly without pausing for breath.

"Don't drown yourself, Bells," Lysander smirked and I choked slightly.

I rolled my eyes as I coughed. "Shut it."

Melody was bouncing in her seat as I scowled at her brother, and she spoke excitedly as soon as Alice disappeared with my empty cup. "Okay! Now that the venom is all out of your system – we're allowed to kidnap you, right?"

Edward frowned at her and Alice reappeared, this time with a plate of gourmet spaghetti – the Cullens loved to spoil me.

"No." I told Melody as I took the plate from Alice. "You're no longer allowed to kidnap me, remember?"

"Why not?" Melody scowled at me.

"Two words," I replied, almost smiling at the irony of my food and words. "Spaghetti noodles."

The Goldeneye kids all started laughing and the Cullens just looked majorly confused.

"Oh, come _on,_ Bella!" Melody groaned. "That was three years ago."

"And try as I might, I still can't suppress the memory of that entire day," I replied, my voice dripping with ice. "I spent the vast majority of it puking into public garbage cans, remember? And I still have your solemn oath to never kidnap me again."

"What was that about noodles?" Edward raised one perfect eyebrow and I smirked.

"You can explain, Mel."

She shot me a scowl and sighed. "Bella was refusing to let us through her a party for her fifteenth b-day but we all really wanted to go to the local amusement park and it was supposed to be really cloudy that day so we kidnapped her at three in the morning and stuffed her in our trunk which we had filled with cooked spaghetti noodles but of course her claustrophobia kicked in so she ended up screaming the entire ride over and freaking out because she thought the noodles were worms so when we got there her face was all red from lack of oxygen and then she got really sick on the roller coasters and had to throw up into the garbage bins which smelled really nasty anyway so that just made things worse for her." She explained hurriedly in one breath so that I barely caught it all. "And it wasn't even my idea!" she added as an afterthought.

Emmett and Alice burst into laughter, Rosalie ignored us, and Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper sent me sympathetic looks. I shuddered at the memory and Edward tightened his hold on me protectively.

"Hey, Bells," Taylon grinned suddenly, holding up the guitar they had tried to force on me earlier. "Is the real reason your refusing to play is because you've forgotten how?"

I glared at him. I knew exactly what he was doing – he knew I couldn't stand people questioning my intelligence. I smiled sweetly than, "I'll play if you'll sing."

There was no way he would accep-

"Sure," Taylon returned my smile triumphantly.

My own grin faded and I scowled, defeated. "T.G.I.F." I sighed, resigned as I slid out of Edward's lap and took the guitar.

"Thank goodness it's Friday?" Emmett frowned as Taylon just grinned his approval.

I smiled briefly before strumming the guitar. "Geez," I winced at the state it was in. "It sounds like a dying cat."

Taylon took it from me again and had it tuned in less than a minute. "Quit stalling, Swan."

"Fine," I sighed and launched into T.G.I.F by the country music band Lonestar.

_"Monday was a bummer, Tuesday was another day  
They could've left out of the week.  
Wednesday nearly got me, Thursday all but stopped me  
I was broken down and beat  
But I started feelin' strong when Friday finally came along."_

I relaxed slightly as I played and even joined in on the chorus.

_"T.G.I.F, you know what that means  
Get down to the beach A.S.A.P."_

Melody joined in the singing and I laughed as she and her brother danced around the Cullen's living room.

"Encore!" Alice shouted when we were done.

Taylon shot me a look and I snorted before striking the first few chords on the song he wanted. All Because Two People Fell in Love by Brad Paisley.

Melody rolled her eyes, "Disgusting!"

"How about I do your song?" I laughed and launched into Daddy's Hands by Holly Dunn.

_"I remember Daddy's hands  
folded silently in prayer  
And reachin' out to hold me  
When I had a nightmare."_

"Ugh, no," Melody begged. "Tay's been singing that since you left. _And_ he put dance moves to it. It's scarring."

I giggled and skipped to the chorus with Taylon shrieking and dancing along with me.

_"Daddy's hands  
Were soft and kind when I was crying  
Daddy's hands  
Were hard as steel when I done wrong_

Daddy's hands weren't always gentle  
But I've come to understand  
There was always love  
In Daddy's hands."

"Shut it!" Melody cried dramatically, covering her ears like she was in pain.

She dove for Taylon angrily and he danced out of her way, laughing. Chasing him around the living room, Melody finally caught him and put him in a head lock.

"You know you love me," Taylon rasped out, pushing air through his tight wind pipe.

"Yeah, otherwise you'd have been killed _again_ over a century ago." Melody snarled.

"You kids have an interesting mated relationship." Emmett guffawed.

Melody and Taylon froze, looked at each other in horror, and promptly sprung to opposite sides of the room. The Goldeneyes stared at Emmett with disgust.

"I can't believe you would even suggest that!"

"That's disgusting!"

"Blasphemy!"

"The polar ice caps would melt before that ever happened."

"Eww!"

I finally had to laugh at all of their expressions and Edward chuckled next to me, reading my friends' minds.

I doubled over laughing as my shoulders shook. "Oh, geez, Em, that's just wrong."

"What? What'd I say?" Emmett asked, greatly confused.

"First of all, I was turned at the age of twelve," Melody scoffed.

"And second, they're all _family_," I enunciated, giggling uncontrollably.

"So?" Alice asked. "We're all family and mated to each other."

"Perhaps I should explain, Bella," Marie offered and I laughed again.

"This should be interesting," Edward chuckled, pulling me into his side.

"You see," Marie began, glancing around the room at all of the Cullen's, "unlike your family, ours was not formed slowly over the years. I bore and gave birth to each one of my children before we were all turned."

"Whoa," Emmett breathed.

Rosalie glared furiously at the blank TV and Esme looked like she would cry if she could.

Carlisle cleared his throat unnecessarily, "That does not make sense – what vampire would have the restraint to turn all of you at once without killing anyone?"

The Goldeneyes all pointed to their father, and Esme raised an eyebrow.

"You are not their birth father?"

"Nay, I am. I was turned by mistake when Melody was only two years old. They all believed me to be dead, but in truth I was hidden in the forest, mastering my self-control. As the years past, I had gained enough restraint to do what I had planned – turn my entire family."

The Cullens all stared at him for a minute in silence.

"Now, we run," Taylon smirked at me, breaking the quiet tension, and I quickly started the song We Run by Sugarland.

"Are the only songs you know country?" Emmett scoffed disgusted, and eager to get back to lighter conversation.

"Yeah, pretty much." I shrugged, pausing in my song. "But that's Taylon's fault."

"How so?" Edward asked.

"I bullied her into learning all of the songs she knows," Taylon answered grinning. "And country music was an obsession of mine when Bella lived near us."

"He had me learn a different song for each person I was close to – Daddy's Hands for Steven, All Because Two People Fell in Love for Harriet…" I frowned into space, trying to remember something. "I forget, who did you have me learn We Run for?"

"Drew." Melody answered easily before cussing.

"Pay up, Mel-Mel," Adrian and Lysander chorused as they all flashed to her side with out-stretched hands.

Grumbling angrily, she pulled out her wallet and handed each of them a hundred dollar bill.

"Ooh," Emmett grinned, "gamblers. What'd ya bet?"

"That she couldn't go twelve hours in Bella's presence without pestering her about Drew," Harriet giggled, slipping the bill into her pocket.

"You're too predictable, Mel," Taylon snickered. "And obsessive."

"Whatever, but now that I lost the bet, I _can_ pester Bella about Drew," Melody grinned, turning towards me. "So… Where is Drew? How is he? Do you have any pictures on you? Is he even hotter than the last time we saw you? Does he still hang out with Jacob Black when you guys are here? Ooh! Did you ever get back at Jacob for putting the red hair dye in your shampoo? Do you have pictures of what you did to him?"

I stared at her in confusion, and decided to stay on familiar ground. "How do you know about Jacob Black? And when did he put hair dye in my shampoo?"

Taylon laughed heartily, "We know about Jake because you would come home from your summer trip to Charlie's complaining about one prank or other that he and Drew pulled on you."

"Like when they replaced all of your shoes with sandals," Adrian smirked.

"They pulled the hair dye one when you were fourteen, remember?" Melody offered me a picture of me scowling with red hair and a boy's arm slung around my shoulders as he laughed his head off.

I stared at the boy for a minute, frowning. He had the exact same heart shaped face as I did and an unruly bunch of brown curls. His brown eyes danced with merriment as he laughed at my expense; his lips, the upper one slightly fuller than the other, curled against his pearly white teeth.

If I wasn't looking at the picture with my own two eyes, I might not have believed it. This boy was practically my twin.

"Who's that?" I frowned, pointing to the boy.

"Funny, Bells," Melody scoffed, annoyed. "Like you don't know who Drew is."

I felt Edward stiffen next to me and I saw Carlisle do the same out of the corner of my eye.

"Who is Drew anyway?" I asked studying his face in the picture– really the resemblance between the two of us was uncanny. "And when did he and Jacob put dye in my shampoo? I don't remember any of this, and I'm pretty sure I would remember looking like Victoria. And I just met Jake last year when I moved here!"

The Goldeneyes were all looking at me like I had grown a third eye or something.

"Bella…" Melody said slowly. "Drew… is your twin brother."


	7. Chapter 7

The silence that stretched after Melody's statement could have lasted for years for all I noticed. I could hear my own heart rate increasing and my breathing went shallow as I processed what my old friend had just told me.

I heard Edward hissing quietly at her, just barely out of my hearing range so that I would have no hopes of catching what was being said.

"I think," I interrupted, my voice hoarse with dread, "I think I'd better go home, Edward... I need to talk to Charlie."

Edward studied my face for a minute and he looked resigned as we got to our feet and headed out to the Volvo. We drove in silence through town to Charlie's house where the police cruiser and my truck were parked outside. Edward pulled up behind my beat up truck and I received a flash of images: the boy from the picture that Melody said was Drew running behind the truck to escape me as I dragged a large hose around.

"Hold on, Bells," this Drew ordered. "Now don't do anything I'll regret."

I laughed at him, "You brought this upon yourself - did you think you could get away with painting my bike pink?"

In the present, I turned towards Edward who was avoiding my gaze. "You knew."

It wasn't a question and he very well knew it.

"Ch-Charlie thinks about him sometimes." Edward whispered, his velvet voice low with fear of how I would react. "Carlisle saw it on your medical records, once."

"Where is he?" I asked. "Does Charlie know that?"

We were interrupted by the car door being jerked open and Charlie leaning down to talk to us.

"Hey there," he said, frowning at our expressions - mine blank and Edward's regretful. "What's going on here? I thought you were out with Alice until tomorrow, Bells."

"I decided to come home early." I lied, sliding out of the car and walking inside without so much as a backwards glance towards my father and Edward. I ran up the stairs to Charlie's room, grabbed a chair, and pulled the trapdoor to the attic open.

Clambering up the ladder, I entered the dust crawlspace and immediately spotted a box labeled "Photos of the kids." I hauled it over towards me and it landed on the floor below with a dull thud. Soundlessly, I jumped down after it as Charlie came in.

"H-hey," he sounded nervous. "What are you doing, Bella?"

"Where's Edward?" I asked, ignoring his own question.

"He left already, said something about rather facing angry grizzly bears for real? What's goin-"

I didn't hear the rest of his question as I searched through the box of old photo albums, finally coming upon the one from my first year of life. I pulled it out and flipped to the first page which showed a photo of Renee, her stomach bulging past what a normal nine month pregnant woman's would look like, climbing into the cruiser with a younger version of Charlie helping her.

_On the way to hospital,_ the title said underneath.

I flipped to the next page to see a picture of two babies nestled into hospital cribs next to each other.

_Baby Isabella Marie and Baby Andrew Charles_, the title informed her, proudly displaying the date.

Desperately, I began flipping through all the photos at a deranged rate, hoping for an answer. In the last album in the box, about halfway through, was a photo of me at fifteen years of age lying in a hospital bed, tubes and wires going off in every direction.

_Bella, fourth month of coma._

A letter was pressed in between the pages and I ripped it open.

_Dear Charlie,_

_The doctors don't know what to do with Bella. She isn't responding to any of the medication anymore. They are talking about taking her off the machines, but I won't let them. I know she's still in there, she can still come back to us. And then she'll be able to tell us what happened to her and Drew._

_Oh, Charlie, how will Bella react when she finds out her best friend is gone? I'm worried for her._

_The doctor is here again. Maybe he'll have more news for us..._

_No news. I'll write again as soon as there is some. We _won't_ lose our baby girl like we did our boy. I'll promise you that._

_Love, Renee_

The letter was marked with old tear stains and the ink had run in some places. I turned back one page and found a photo with me, Drew, and Jacob all standing on top of the truck, posed to jump. I turned around to find Charlie watching me, his eyes filled with tears.

"Charlie," I whispered. "Where's Drew?"

Charlie squeezed his eyes shut and whispered in return, "They said you were never going to remember. Who told you?"

I felt a rare flash of anger and jumped to my feet. "Did you ever plan on telling me about him? Didn't you think that I had a right to know I had a brother?"

I ripped the photo of me, Jacob, and Drew out of the album and fled down the stairs, ignoring Charlie's plea for me to come back and talk to him.

I jumped into the truck, clutching the photo, and threw it into gear. I pushed the poor thing to its limits and just drove, not caring where I ended up. It came as a surprise to me when I saw wolves running around me as I passed over the treaty line. I was now in Quileute territory.

I turned sharply onto a familiar driveway and slammed the car into park. I could hear the werewolves inside, laughing and hollering. Slamming the door as I got out, I stormed up to the house and threw Emily's kitchen door open.

The teenage boys all stopped there goofing off to stare at me.

"Bella?" asked Sam concerned. "Are you alright?"

I ignored him and my eyes zeroed in on Jacob Black who was sitting with a forkful of eggs.

"Were you planning on ever telling me?" I asked quietly.

Jacob slowly lowered his fork, frowning, "Tell you what, Bells?"

I saw a brief image of Jacob and Drew laughing as I tried to teach them to cook.

"I thought I could trust you, Jake," I whispered, the tears I had held back since I'd found the photos finally overflowed. "Turns out I can't trust anyone."

"What the heck are you talking about, Bella?" Jacob asked worriedly, getting to his feet slowly.

"Swan's finally lost it," Paul muttered and Quil knocked him on the back of his head.

"Bella, sweetie," Emily began slowly. "What are you talking about? What didn't Jacob tell you?"

I held the photo out for her to take, my hand shaking. Emily inspected it before handing it over to Jacob who now looked terrified.

"Bella, I- They made me swear never to tell you," he pleaded with me. "They didn't want you to remember not after -"

I grabbed a random can off Emily's counter and threw it at his head as hard as I could. "I had a right, Jake!" I screeched. I didn't recognize my own self. I had no control over my reactions and I was scared. "You and Charlie and Renee! You all took that from me!"

I turned around and ran back to my truck.

"Bella! Wait! Bella, come back!" I knew Jacob could catch up to me if he wanted to, but he would respect my privacy.

I sobbed as I threw my car into gear, sorry over the brother I had forgotten I had, the brother who know one knew where he was.

"Come on, Bells," I heard his voice whisper in my ear, his image dance on the edges of my vision as I flew down the road. "You were there that night. You remember. Come on. Come on!" Drew growled. "You _know_!"

"No!" I screamed, jerking the steering wheel to the side when I saw someone suddenly appear in the road.

I heard the noise of my truck crunching the guard rail. I heard the crunch of it hitting rocks and the splash of the water I finally rolled into.

I saw the windshield crack as I flew forwards. I saw the water envelop my vehicle.

I felt the pain of my skull cracking, my arm breaking, and my leg being crushed.

I smelled the scent of my blood and the leaking oil.

I heard the sound of someone calling my name.

I saw the blankness beginning to surround me.

I felt the pain suddenly intensify.

I smelled the scent vampires carried upon them.

I heard my heart rate increase.

And then there was nothing but the pain.


End file.
